Air conditioner for tractor cabs



Jam ,v 1951 E. J. PATTERSON 2,537,278

AIR CONDITIONER FOR TRACTOR CABS I Filed March 51, 19 47 I C f D Q INVENTOR ML mi ATTORNEYS E. J: Patterson Patented Jan. 9, Q51

AIR QLONDITIQOHYER FOR macros e sajiaaastn; Stockton, Calif. 1 Application March 31, 1942 Serial no. 138,415

Thisinvention is directed 'to, and it is an object to provide, an air conditioning unitfor tractor cabs. v Another object of the invention is to provide a novel combination which includes a tractor having an enclosed operators cab, and an air conditioning unit mounted on the tractor operative to filter dust from the'air and to deliver the clean air into the cab.

. An additional object "of theinventio n is to provide an air conditioning .unit,. for the. -purpose described, which comprises. a novel structure, including afilter'pad which is removable for cleaning or replacement.

A further object of the invention is to provide a practical and convenient air conditioner for tractor cabs, and yet one which will be exceedingly effective for the purpose for which it is de Signed.

These objects are accomplished by means of such structure and relative arrangement of parts as will fully appear by a perusal of the following specification and claim.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a front end view of the air conditioning or filter unit.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged transverse section, foreshortened, of said unit. 7

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary plan view of the filter unit.

Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the air conditioner as mounted on a tractor, the latter being shown in dotted lines.

Referring now more particularly to the characters of reference on the drawings, the air conditioner comprises a filter unit, indicated generally at I, mounted on top of the enclosed cab 2 of the tractor 3; the filter unit I being hereinafter described in detail.

Clean air from the filter unit I is delivered from the latter into the cab 2 by means of a suction fan 4; said suction fan having a suction duct 5 connected to the filter unit I and an air delivery duct 6 discharging into the cab 2.

The suction fan 4 is driven from the tractor engine by suitable driving connections, such as an endless belt and pulley unit 1 coupled between the front end of the engine crankshaft and a longitudinal countershaft 8 above the tractor hood; which countershaft in turn drives said fan 4 by means of an endless belt and pulley unit 9.

When the tractor is in use with .the air conditioner in operation the suction fan 4 draws air through the filter unit I, said unit filtering out substantiallyall of the dust from the air and delivering the clean air into the cab for consumption by the operator. In, order to prevent back pressure in the cab Z; and against the fan 4, the operator may open oneofthe cab windows slightly to permit of free air-circulation through the cab and out of such partly open window, With this arrangement the tractor operator is not subjected to the bad efiectsjof heavily dust 'laden air which normally surroundsv a tractor' in operation.

The. filter unit IV is of novelconstruction and comprises a substantially rectangular, relatively flat housing III, which includes an intake chamber II, and a conditioned or filtered air chamber I2 separated within said housing by a filter pad I3 and a partition I4 against which the filter pad abuts.

The filter pad I3 comprises a rectangular I frame I5 which engages in the housing through a slot IS in one side thereof; said filter pad, as projected through the slot I6 into the housing I0, having a substantially air-tight fit with the front and back of the housing and the partition I4, so that all air traveling through the filter unit I must pass through said filter pad I3. The filter pad I3 is supported, at the partition I4, and at the front and back of the housing I, by channels H; such filter pad being relatively thick and formed of a multiplicity of foraminous sheets, such as relatively fine mesh wire cloth.

. Air enters the intake chamber II through an air-intake slot I8 in the front of the housing IS in communication with said chamber I I, whereas the clean air delivers from the conditioned or filtered air chamber I2 through an outlet port I9 with which the suction duct 5 of the suction fan 4 communicates.

At its outer or free end the filter pad I3 is formed with a handle 20, by means of which said pad may be withdrawn from the housing I 9, through the slot I6, for cleaning or replacement of such pad.

After a certain length of use it is only necessary that the filter pad I3 be withdrawn and cleaned to remove the dust therefrom which has been filtered from the air passing through the unit I into the enclosed cab 2.

The filter unit I is rigidly attached to the top of the cab 2 by attachment brackets, which are indicated generally at 2 I.

As the air intake chamber II is below the horizontal filter pad I3, a more efifective filtering action is accomplished, for the reason that there tends to be a gravitational displacement of dust from the bottom of said pad.

From the foregoing description it will be readily seen that there has been produced such a device as substantially fulfills the objects of the invention, as set forth herein.

While this specification sets forth in detail the present and preferred construction of the device, still in practice such deviations from such detail may be resorted to as do not form a departure from the spirit of the invention, as defined b the appended claim.

Having thus described the invention, the fol lowing is claimed as new and useful, and upon which Letters Patent are desired: I

An air conditioner for tractor cabs comprising the combination with a substantially enclosed cab of a generally rectangular housing mounted on top of the cab, a vertical partition wall within the housing and disposed intermediate theends thereof and extending from side to side thereof, the height of such partition wall being substantially less than the height of the housing, a horizontal partition wall lying between the top of the vertical partition wall and one end of the munication with said second chamber and its outlet side opening into the cab, means to drive the fan, the horizontal partition wall comprising a framed filter pad, guide channels within the housing, the housing being provided with a slot in alinement with the channels, the frame of the pad being slidably mounted in said channels, one end of the pad frame being accessible from outside the housing whereby the pad may be removed from the housing.

EDIE J. PATTERSON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 682,872 Jobson Sept. 17, 1901 h 1,500,586 Jordahl July 8, 1924 1,660,524 Podnar Feb. 28, 1928 1,691,967 Gammeter Nov. 20, 1928 2,013,601 Clark Sept. 3, 1935 2,052,471 Hula Aug. 25, 1936 2,055,843 Helfinstine Sept. 29, 1936 2,232,108 Giacomini Feb. 18, 1941 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 685,330 France Mar. 21, 1930 694,685 France Sept. 22, 1930 844,178 France Apr. 17, 1939 

